Don't Underestimate A Reflection
by esompthin
Summary: Gabriel finds the Mirror of Erised. And, well, the history books (and JKR) got some of the details wrong. Let's just say, Dumbledore was right. It's a very dangerous mirror indeed. Not an AU, sabriel, small bit of destiel.
It wasn't his fault.

Usually, things are his fault. He fucks up all the time and people get hurt because of it. Good, innocent people. But this time it wasn't.

This time, he was just wandering the bunker at night. He didn't like flying away at night, in case Sam had a nightmare, he wanted to be there, to soothe his fears and end his night terrors. Not that Sam would want his help. But there was nothing Gabe could do to change that.

Anyway. He ended up opening a door he was never supposed to open. He was exploring a part of the bunker that he'd never been in before. And judging by the dust coating every shelf, neither had anyone else.

It wasn't his fault.

As soon as he stepped into the dark room, something called to him. Something dark and powerful. Now, being in the Men of Letters bunker, that wasn't surprising. Things called to Gabe all the time. But this one was different. This one was old; very, very old.

Gabe couldn't stop his feet from pulling him step by dusty step further into the room. The magic whispered to him, pulling on his feathers and tugging him closer. Gabe turned the corner and saw, tucked in the furthest part of the room, behind rows and rows of shelves, a familiar object, hidden under a white sheet.

The archangel could tell immediately what the object was. It was a familiar sight, one that he'd gotten his hands on once or twice. He was warned by his older brothers, both Michael and his Pagan counterpart, Thor, _never to look directly at this object_. Gabriel never did. But he did use it, as a trickster. He dropped it in front of asshats who deserved to be taught a lesson.

"How by Father's word did you end up here?" Gabriel asked, reaching forward to brush his fingers against the cloth. The magic swirled around him, coaxing him further, "Ha, not today, old friend. You've never caught me. And you never will."

And then, because he's Gabriel, he stuck out his tongue at the magic object.

Yes, he knows exactly what this is. It's a mirror. It was first created by Nemesis, the Greek goddess of Revenge. She looked down upon Narcissus and hissed in fury at his behavior. The history books got it wrong. Narcissus didn't look into a pond and accidentally drown himself, attempting to reach his beautiful reflection. Nemesis created an object of the future, and set it down before Narcissus.

The object showed the man his reflection, much like the waters did. But instead of drowning himself, he stepped through the reflective glass. When he could no longer see himself, he turned around, and attempted to get out. He pounded on the glass, but couldn't break it.

Nemesis appeared before him, and said thus, "I curse you, never to see what you want most; only to be what others desire."

And with that, she dropped the mirror back onto Earth, where it sat, waiting for someone to come along. Narcissus could never see his reflection again, and was forced to help show others what they want most in life.

Gabriel was told all throughout his life, by the Nordics, by the Christians, by the Greek, and by the Pagans.

Whatever you do, dear gods, do not look at the mirror.

For Narcissus was a dark man. And he wouldn't help people find their true desire. He forces them to be addicted to what they can never have. He draws them in, and steals them forever. The man of selfishness got his own on the goddess of revenge. There was something about that that Gabe liked.

But he did as he was told. He never looked at the mirror, like the Medusa of reflections, he kept his eyes adverted.

Gabriel patted the cloth, he could feel the power on the other side of it. Tsk'ing at the old Greek man, he stepped back.

"Must be horrible. Being locked in the dark, under a sheet. You can't even play your game back here, now can you?" Gabe taunted. "Some Mirror of Erised you are."

He snapped a chocolate bar into existence, but before he could even catch it from the air, it flew away from him. The chocolate was pulled, like a magnet, to the mirror, sticking the cloth to the glass. Gabe pouted, unimpressed.

"Give that back." He said, crossing his arms. "Or I'll shatter you to a million peices."

The mirror did nothing.

Gabe smirked, "Or, I'll just leave."

The magic let go of him, gently caressing his feathers and his vessel's hair as it retreated. Gabe reached forward, plucking the candy bar away from the mirror.

"That's what I thought." He unwrapped the chocolate and carefully broke off one square. He dropped it, raising an eyebrow as the magic caught it mid-air. "So why can't you move the sheet? Is that cursed as well?"

Gabe touched the cloth again, nodding to himself. "It is. You have to get someone he remove your cover. You can't do it yourself. Ha. Good luck with that."

The chocolate square moved closer to Gabe. The archangel snorted.

"No, I won't move it. You're on your own."

The magic wrapped around Gabe again; it was a soothing feeling, strong, hypnotizing.

It made something churn in his gut, a need to move closer, to see more. The archangel's eyes felt heavy, but his feet felt light; easily shortening the distance between him and the mirror.

Gabe blinked, realizing his arm was already outstretched. He took a step back, glaring at the man he knew was behind the mirror.

"No. I don't _need_ to look at you. I already have everything I need right here." He shook the chocolate in his hand. His voice was small when he added, "...and I already know what I want…"

The magic pulled the chocolate free from his grip, it landed flat against the face of the mirror again.

Gabe rolled his eyes, turning away from the mirror. "I always knew Greeks were dicks."

He calmly walked out of the room, forcing his wings free of the magic's grip. He gently closed the door to the room, and then - and only then, once the magic was a distance away - did Gabe let out a sigh of relief.

His vessel's legs couldn't hold him up any longer. The archangel sank to the floor, eyes staring blankly at the wall in front of him.

The Mirror of Erised was in that room. Narcissus's mirror was in that room. Son of a shit.

Gabe promised himself he wouldn't go back into that room again, now that he knew what dangers lay in there.

* * *

Gabe watched as Sam scribbled notes down for their next case. Dean had left for a beer run and Cas was nowhere to be found. Fledgling probably followed Dean out like a puppy, but Gabe wasn't paying enough attention to know for sure. His mind was too focused on the mirror in the dusty room.

"Hey, Sammich." Gabe said. The human didn't look up, didn't even pause his writing.

"Hmm?"

Well, that wasn't the kind of reaction the archangel deserved. Gabe poked the other man in the side. Sam jumped and glared at him.

"What, Gabriel?"

That's better. Gabe had his full attention now. Just having Sam's eyes on him made something inside Gabe's gut swirl happily.

"I found something dangerous." Gabe said. "In the bunker."

Sam huffed and turned back to his laptop, "Everything here is dangerous. The Men of Letters collected dangerous things."

Gabe sighed, "There's a room, fourth door on the left, down that hall. Have you been in it?"

Sam paused to think, imagining which room that'd be. "Not really. I opened the door once, but it just looks like another junk room. Haven't dug through it yet."

"Okay." Gabe nodded, drumming his fingers on the table. He paused, and Sam went back to his work. "Do me a favor?"

"Hmmm."

"Don't go in there."

Sam turned to glare at him, "Gabriel, did you break something?"

"No!"

* * *

It wasn't his fault.

He was back again, staring at the cloth hanging on the mirror. Gabe couldn't tell you what made him come to this room tonight. He was walking down the hall and then he caught a whiff of the mirror's magic. Now he's here, standing in front of it.

"I'm still not going to do it, Narcissus. I won't remove the cloth. Magic or not, you can't overpower me."

The warm magic curled across his cheek like the hand of a tempting maiden. Gabriel stood his ground, disconnecting himself from his vessel's nerves. He wouldn't be the one to free the magic's true purpose. This was something he wouldn't fuck up.

His fingers twitched on their own accord, pulling his hand closer to the white cloth without Gabe's permission. His fingers curled around the cloth, feeling the soft satin against his skin.

The archangel yanked the limb away in fury. The cloth swayed from the force, but didn't fall.

"No." He said simply, stepping away from the mirror. The magic tugged at his chest, but not too desperately. They both knew he'd be back.

* * *

Gabe's heart pounded in his ears, he was in the middle of a sword fight with a cocky demon, but that wasn't what had him panicked. His eyes darted across the room to Sam, who was currently slammed against the wall, being held there by the witch's magic.

Yeah, witches and demons are working together now. Bullshit, right?

Dean had his hands full with two demons. They backed him into a corner and he couldn't get out. Cas was wrestling on the ground with another witch that was just _begging_ to get smote.

The witch that had Sam all strung up pulled out a knife, she sliced a long, bloody line down Sam's chest. The hunter grunted in pain. The cut wasn't incredibly deep, but it sure as hell would hurt.

Gabe gritted his teeth and grabbed the demon's arm. In one quick motion, he snapped the demon's elbow and pulled the monster closer so he could smite him. The blinding light faded quickly as the vessel dropped to the floor. Gabe turned and stormed up to the witch, her hand was cupped and she was about to shoot a spell onto Sam. Gabe turned her around forcibly and gripped his angel blade.

Before he could stab the bitch, though, she simply turned her hand to face him and shot magic deep into his vessel. The force of it flung him across the room. The power of it would've destroyed Sam easily. Gabe's vessel could barely stand the impact. His skin was burned almost completely off and one of his eyes couldn't open. Gabe was pretty sure his shoulder was dislocated and his kneecap wasn't where it was supposed to be.

The archangel stood up, his one good eye locking with the witch's. He raised his hand, and flicked it quickly. He watched as the witch disintegrated in seconds. As she turned to dust, Gabe could see Sam, falling to the floor.

There was a screeching as Cas smote the witch under him.

Dean had managed to kill one of the demons, but the other had him in a headlock. Gabe snapped and the demon fell to the floor, screaming as its vessel burned it out. Dean gasped suddenly, sucking in breath after needy breath.

He sent Gabe a thankful look, but the archangel didn't see it. He was too busy fussing over Sam.

"Shit, Sam, are you okay?" Gabe asked as his hands quickly found Sam's chest. He pumped Grace into the other man, watching as the blood stopped and the skin melded itself together. "Are you alright? You're alright, I got you, look all healed up! You're okay, right?"

Sam took a deep breath, his hand brushing against his ripped shirt. There would be a small scar, but it'll disappear after a few months. Gabe didn't want to remove his hands, but at the look Sam gave him, he forced himself to put them in his lap and sit back.

"...Thank you." His voice was strange and the way his eyes gazed into Gabe's one good one made the archangel squirm.

Gabe looked away and slowly began to heal his own vessel. Vaguely he could feel - other than his skin regrowing and his muscles shifting back into their correct position - Sam's eyes on him. When Gabe looked back at him, both of his eyes worked. Sam's expression was hard to read, his eyes somewhat distant, but wide.

"Are you alright?" Gabe asked, hesitantly reaching forward. He pressed his hand to Sam's wrist. The hunter was still touching the new scar on his chest. His heart was racing and his breaths were shallow.

The hunter shifted, his eyes connecting with Gabe's again. His voice was high as he whispered, "I would've died… you could've died…"

"Yeah, but you didn't." Gabe said. "You're okay. ...Sam? You look like you're gonna be sick…"

"I- no, I'm fine. Just… thanks, Gabriel." Sam was staring at him with such an intensity that it made shivers run through Gabe's wings. The archangel swallowed, unable to look away.

"Yeah, of course."

Dean stepped up and broke Sam's trance. He helped Sam up and they nodded to each other, already heading towards the exit of the old building. Sam looked over his shoulder one more time, eyes locking with Gabe's. The archangel got the odd feeling that something important just happened.

* * *

It wasn't his fault.

Gabe kept telling himself that as he found himself in front of the mirror again and again. The magic swirled, pleased, around him, brushing against his feathers, almost like it was _petting_ him.

Gabe twitched his wings, not entirely enjoying the force that kept calling him back.

This was why as a trickster, Gabe would just teleport the mirror around. He never had to touch it. Never actually had to be near it. But now it has his scent. It has him.

Gabe knew, even before his fingers reached out for the glass hidden under the cloth, he was fucked.

* * *

"I'm gonna go out to eat. Do you want me to pick up anything?" Sam asked the group as a whole, but was watching Dean.

His brother shrugged, "I could go for a ice cold soda. And some pie."

Sam smirked, "For lunch?"

"Yeah. I'm working up an appetite, here!" Dean turned away from his Baby, oil and grease covering his hands. Cas was somewhat helping him fix the car. He handed tools to Dean whenever he asked for them. Mostly he was just spacing out and staring at the hunter's body.

Gabe wasn't helping at all. He was wondering when Dean was going to notice that he kept causing more things that needed to be fixed.

It's been three times now. Dean would fix everything, smile to himself in triumph, and then notice another thing Gabe had broken. The game was getting boring, seeing how the biggest reaction he got from Dean was a confused muttering.

So a change of pace would be awesome.

"Can I come?" He asked Sam. The younger hunter's eyebrows raised slightly. Sam glanced over to Dean, who shrugged at him.

"I guess." He didn't sound annoyed, for once. Gabe counted that as a win.

"Cool. I'm thinking something French." Gabe snapped his fingers and the garage they were in disappeared.

Sam looked around in surprise at the fancy restaurant they suddenly found themselves in. There were two different spoons and three different forks sitting in front of him. Classical music hummed in the distance and there was a fountain bubbling in the corner of the room. Everyone was dressed to the nines and just by glancing down at the French menu, he knew he wouldn't be able to afford any of this.

" _Gabriel!_ " Sam hissed from across the table. "Are we in _France_ right now?"

"Oui." Gabe replied, picking up a menu and skimming through the different meals.

"I'm not dressed for this kind of place." Sam said. "I was just going to pick up a sandwich from Subway or something."

Gabe set the menu down, grinning, "Samuel! Are you asking me to undress you?"

"What? No. I'm telling you to take me home." Sam replied, glancing at the waaay-too-fancy atmosphere around him. "They're going to kick us out of here."

"No, they won't. I come here all the time. They think I'm a rich American actor. I always give amazing tips." Gabe waved his hand at one of the waiters, who made a b-line for them.

"Bonjour, Monsieur Speight." The waiter greeted, "Comment allez-vous?"

"Bien, bien. Mon mari et moi voulons à toi meilleur du vin."

"Et manger?"

"Rien pour moi et une salade niçoise pour lui." Gabe replied easily, Sam found himself watching his mouth as it formed around the French words. The hunter looked away when Gabe glanced at him.

"Bien sûr." The waiter sped off to get their order.

"You know French?" Sam asked after a long moment.

Gabe shrugged, "I know every language. I watched them form."

Sam leaned forward, his attention caught, "Yeah? What was that like?"

Gabe realized this was a perfect moment to try to get Sam to like him. "I could show you. If you want."

Sam looked surprised, "Wait, really?"

The archangel shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Sure, I can stop time, go back, show you a sped up version of history. We can find a nice seat and watch as language progresses from grunts to full sentences. Come back here and have it all done by the time you finish blinking."

Sam sat back, chewing the inside of his cheek, "That's… amazing. But I'll have to pass."

"You sure?" Gabe asked, hiding his disappointment behind a cocky grin, "It'll take no time at all with my abilities."

Sam snorted, looking over to all the fancy French people. His expression hardened slightly, "Yeah, no. Last time I went time traveling, Cas almost got stuck in the past."

"I'm much stronger than Cassie. There's no danger." Gabe said, not sure if the hurt shown in his eyes or not.

"I'm sure there's not. Let me just… take a rain check for that. Okay?"

Gabe nodded, "Sure, 'course. Just let me know whenever you start to hear raindrops."

The archangel couldn't think of a new topic. He squirmed in his seat, trying to think of what to say. Thankfully, the waiter returned then, bringing both Sam's salad and the wine.

"Bon appétit." The waiter said, then, in only somewhat broken English, "Tell me if you need something more."

"Ah, merci." Gabriel said, nodding politely at the waiter. He started to fill up his and Sam's glasses with the rich red wine.

Sam smiled, shaking his head.

"What?"

Sam shrugged, "I don't know. Language Expertise Archangel Gabriel? It's just a little… different. I didn't know you had the… _interest_ to learn the world's languages."

Gabe held out his glass of wine to toast, "There's a lot you don't know about me, Sam."

Sam hesitated, but eventually gently clinked his glass against Gabe's, "I'm willing to learn."

* * *

It was not his fault.

He stood by that claim. Even as the cloth fell to the floor and Gabe's eyes darted to see what Narcissus would show him.

For a moment, it was just his reflection in the mirror. Him standing in a dirty room with wild, angry eyes.

Gabe realized then he was holding his breath. Not that he needed it, but the archangel forced himself to close his eyes and take deep, calming breaths.

The magic brushed against his cheek, encouraging him to look back to the mirror.

When Gabe's eyes flicked up at his reflection, his heart stopped for a moment.

Sam was standing behind him, in his pajamas.

"Shit, did I wake-" Gabe asked as he turned around. He was greeted to the sight of untouched magical nicknacks and dust. "you?"

The magic swirled around him, pleading him to turn around. Gabe followed its trail, turning back to the mirror. Sam was behind him, smiling softly.

He placed his warm hand on Gabe's shoulder, and Gabe jumped when he felt the soft pressure of it against his skin.

Sam leaned forward, and Gabe could feel his breath against his cheek. He read Sam's lips as he whispered, ' _Come back to bed, darling._ '

Gabe whimpered as Sam pressed a soft kiss to his temple. The magic surrounding him made it feel so real. Gabe's skin jumped with the sparks Sam's lips left behind.

The archangel in the mirror turned to Sam, smiling with the affection Gabe only wished he could show to the real Sam.

Gabe teared his eyes away, forcing himself to look at the dusty pile of books on the shelf next to him. He took deep breaths, trying to ignore the pleasant phantom touch of Sam's hand on his shoulder.

"So. This is what you show me?" Gabe hissed, his voice cracking slightly. He swallowed hard, his fists shaking as he said, "My deepest desire?"

The magic curled around Gabe's shoulder's, easily coaxing him to take another look.

Gabe gave in and let his eyes travel over Sam's affectionate gaze. His heart was pounding in his chest, his eyes wide, wanting to soak in more of that beautiful man's expression.

The archangel let out a shuddering breath, "Is this supposed to be a surprise? I already know I love him. I… I can't have this. I know all this."

And then mirror Sam cups mirror Gabe's chin and pulls him into a soft, gentle kiss. Gabe bit his own lip, feeling tingles of what could be.

"I already know I love him." Gabe repeated, stepping away on shaky legs, "Show me something else."

The image changed, as Gabe demanded, but it was all the same. Gabe saw himself on Sam's lap. They were smiling, laughing about something. Sam held Gabe close as they were grossly happy about nothing at all.

"That's not what I meant." Gabe said, but the words felt distant, even to him. Gabe couldn't tear his eyes away, he stood before the mirror, not blinking, simply staring at the scene before him.

He doesn't know how long he stood there, but his vessel blinked hard suddenly, his body jerking intensely, and it knocked him out of the trance.

"I- no." Gabe muttered, backing away forcefully from the mirror. "I won't be back."

The archangel slammed the door after him. He stood in the hall for a moment. When he closed his eyes, he could see the love on Sam's face. Shaking his head, he stormed away from that cursed room.

* * *

Dean watched as Gabriel stared at Sam. His brother was reading, and Gabe seemed to take it as the perfect opportunity to openly ogle the younger Winchester.

Gabe sighed bittersweetly like a pining teenager. Sam looked up at him and Gabe quickly glanced away. Sam stared away the archangel for a long moment.

Dean raised an eyebrow at the soft expression on Sam's face. Sam bit his lip, slowly dragging his eyes away from Gabe's face and back down to his book.

After a minute, Gabe looked back over to Sam, a small smile on his face.

Dean rolled his eyes. _Stupid gay dorks._

* * *

Sam woke up early in the morning one day, his eyes hurt and his muscles were sore. The pounding in his head only got worse as he pulled himself out of bed. He groaned weakly as he shuffled down the hall to get some coffee.

As he passed one dark, empty hall, the slow _creak_ of a door made him stop. There's no way in hell Dean was awake. Cas doesn't use doors. And Gabriel disappears at night.

Expecting a monster or evil spirit, Sam was instantly awake, he ducked behind the corner, carefully peering at whatever was there.

Sam frowned, having to hold back a confused, 'Huh?' when he saw who stepped out from behind the door.

It was Gabriel.

The archangel's head was bowed, his expression hidden by his bangs. Sam watched as the other man slowly turned and clicked the door closed.

Once the door was completely shut, the archangel straightened slightly, rolling his shoulders. His eyes slowly turned to glance back at the door.

Gabriel raised his fingers and gently brushed them against the wood.

Then he took a deep breath and with a familiar flutter of wings, disappeared.

Sam glanced down the hall. There was something about this area that he remembered was important.

Something Gabriel said, actually. Wasn't there something "dangerous" down there?

Sam slowly walked down the hall, each step taking him further and further from the light.

He stopped at the door Gabriel just came out of.

Sam braced himself for the worst. A monster could be on the other side. Or a horrible curse. Or, well, anything at all.

But when he pulled the door open quickly, all that greeted him was a thick cloud of dust.

Sam coughed and waved his hand to clear the air a bit. He looked into the darkness. Nothing blinked back at him. Nothing jumped out to grab him. He figured it was safe enough to step inside.

Sam awkwardly felt along the wall near the door until he found the light switch.

The hunter flicked it up and watched as nothing happened. He flicked it back down and then up again repeatedly with no effect. With a sigh, he figured he would have to wait until he found a flashlight.

Nothing in this room could be _that_ dangerous, right? It was just as Sam thought. Another junk room.

The hunter turned to leave, grabbing hold of the door as he did so.

But something made him stop.

Whatever it was, it felt cold. It brushed past Sam, causing his hair to flow gently in the breeze. A shiver ran down Sam's spine as he turned back to the room.

Great.

He probably just released some angry spirit into the bunker. It was going to terrorize them until they burn it's remains. Good job, Sam.

But the cold didn't leave, as if a ghost was passing him. It hung around, getting colder directly in front of him, where the door was. Alright, so it was just standing before him. Sam was going to die.

The cold was unbearable, Sam couldn't help himself, he had to step back from it. The cold followed him, almost pushing him to take another step back. Sam found himself basically being shoved further into the dark room by the cold ghost.

Sam's back hit the wall, and he knew he was most likely going to die now if he didn't do something quick. As he thought, he looked around. What are the chances the Men of Letters left a rocksalt-bullet-filled riffle in here?

What he found instead completely stole his attention.

It was a mirror.

But it obviously was magical, because it glowed in the darkness and something swirled in its reflection. Sam stepped up to it, watching himself appear in its glass.

It was weird. Apart from the glowing, this was just a normal old mirror. So why was it so hard to look away from it?

And then the image changed.

Sam's gasp echoed throughout the room.

* * *

It wasn't his fault.

Sam actually smiled at something Gabe said. The archangel thought it was just an illusion, wishful thinking and all that. But no, Sam actually smiled.

Gabe stared for a long moment, a wide grin spreading across his face. It was only after Gabe's heart rate skyrocketed and an overbearing wave of joy and accomplishment washed through him, did he realize, it was just the mirror showing him what he wanted. Gabe didn't even know when he walked into the room. But here he was.

And Sam was smiling at him with such amusement and fondness.

Well... Gabe should've known it wasn't real…

* * *

Sam was mad and Gabe didn't know why. This probably was his fault. But no one got hurt!

Sam stormed into the bunker with Gabe on his heels. Cas and Dean, for once, we're silent, slowly following behind them.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Gabe asked for the hundredth time.

The hunter just glared at him, he turned to walk to his room, stopped, then stormed back to Gabe.

"What gives you the right?" He hissed between his teeth.

"What?" Gabe felt like he couldn't swallow, Sam was standing so close. But the look of affection he wished for was nowhere to be seen. This scene was all wrong. Sam was close, yes, but there was no love in his eyes.

"Those angels. What gave you the right to take them _on your own_." Sam was talking quietly now, the fury in his eyes burning through Gabe's vessel.

Gabe raised an eyebrow. "How about I'm an archangel? Or they're my brothers? Or you're just a human?"

Sam's expression grew deadly. "There was eight of them. Against one of you."

"So?"

"So!? So you didn't even let Cas help!"

"Cassie was making sure none of them escaped."

"That's bullshit."

"No, for real, he had this circle of Grace surroundi-"

Sam grabbed Gabe by the shoulders and shook him as he said, "They had _angel blades_! They could have _killed you_!"

Gabe blinked, " _That's_ what this is about?"

A muscle in Sam's jaw twitched. He looked like he was trying not to scream.

"Sam, my brothers aren't strong enough to kill me. Not even Luci could kill me. I'm alright. I could've taken more of them with my eyes closed."

"You were bleeding Grace." Sam said, his fingers digging into Gabe's shoulders.

"I was _fine_."

Sam huffed loudly, he pushed Gabe away from him none too kindly and shook his head.

"Whatever. Just- be more careful." Sam stormed off, without looking back.

Gabe turned and looked at Dean and Cas, who were standing by the stairs, eyes wide.

"What's up with him?" Gabe asked Dean.

The older hunter's expression grew annoyed, "You locked us outside of the building. We had no idea if you or Cas were okay."

Gabe glanced at the hall Sam disappeared behind.

"And when you came out," Dean continued, "You looked like a hellhound used you as chew toy."

Something in Gabe's chest fluttered. "So he was… worried? About me?"

* * *

They were arguing again. About the same thing. But, to be fair, it was the _only_ thing they argued about.

"Why didn't you pray to me?" Gabe was almost yelling.

Sam rolled his eyes, "Because I didn't _need_ your help. Dean and I had it."

"Bullshit. By the time Cas and I got there you two were poltergeist food." Gabriel was poking Sam in the chest, hard. His eyes were furious. "You should've prayed, if you were in danger."

"I'm a _hunter_! I'm _always_ in danger!" Sam hissed back, smacking Gabe's hand away. "I'm not some damsel in distress! It's not your job to come save me!"

Gabriel's expression turned murderous. His eyes flashed blue for just a second. "I am an archangel of the Lord. My _job_ is to protect humanity. Guess what, Sam? That's you. Sorry to break it to you, but protecting you _is_ my _job_ you stupid, _stupid_ human."

The air cracked around them with barely held back power. Sam glared at him, and Gabe glared right back. Neither wanted to be the first to storm off, but neither could stand to be next to the other and their reckless behaviors.

Eventually, Gabe gave in and flew away. He found himself pacing in front of that stupid mirror. With a sigh, he turned and looked into it.

* * *

Sam found him in one of the livingrooms. He gave Gabe a hesitant, sheepish smile and sat down next to him on the couch.

Gabe kept his face blank, even as their legs brushed against each other.

Sam let out a deep exhale. He looked over at Gabe and watched him for a moment. When Gabe didn't look away from the TV, Sam brushed his fingers through the archangel's hair. That definitely made the other man's gaze snap to look at him.

Sam kept his hand by Gabe's neck, fingers gently playing his hair. Sam licked his lips, he didn't notice how Gabe watched the action with vigor.

"I'm sorry." Sam said after a moment. "For not praying to you sooner. We probably needed your and Cas's help."

Gabe stared at Sam's slightly nervous expression. After a beat he said, "Damn right you did."

Sam smiled slightly, the tension in the air breaking. "It ambushed us. There wasn't much time to think."

"You know you just have to say my name and I'll hear it." Gabe replied quietly. "I'll always come when you call."

Sam smiled brightly, he looked down at his hands to hide his blush, "That's, um, that's good to know."

* * *

It still wasn't his fault.

Sam looked at him like he built every star in the sky. Like he commanded the ocean currents and he painted sunsets.

Of course, Gabe did all that anyway. But the way Sam looked at him made it mean something.

Gabe reached forward, his fingers brushing against the cold glass.

Why couldn't this be real?

Gabe stared at the scene before him, unblinking, until he could hear Sam and Dean getting ready for the day. He stepped away from it, not taking his eyes away until he turned the corner and it was out of his sight.

Gabe shook his head clear of its corrupted thoughts and slowly closed the door to the room.

* * *

It was Sam's turn to cook dinner. Gabe, of course, volunteered to help. Sam smiled at him as Gabe slid up next to him by the counter. Gabe didn't notice, though. He was lost in thought, thinking about the very smile that was directed at him right now.

"So, I was thinking…" Sam started as he peeled the potatoes. The hunter bit his lip, looking over at Gabe quickly, "Um, about the language thing? The time travel thing?"

"Hmm." Gabe was absentmindedly cutting carrots into small pieces, he could hear Sam's voice, distantly, but the words weren't really registering. It was drowned out by the soft whispers the mirror provided.

"I'd like to, uh, do that. Sometime. Just the two of us." Sam could feel his heart in his throat as he waited for Gabe's response.

The archangel blinked hard, his mind jerking out of his thoughts. He looked to Sam, who was looking anywhere but him, his cheeks dusted pink.

"I mean, if you want." Sam added quickly, "I'm sure you have better things to do, but I just thought it'd be fun."

Gabe had absolutely no idea what just happened, but he wanted to make the nervous look on Sam's face disappear. He reached out, his hand handing on Sam's shoulder. The hunter froze, eyes wide.

"Yeah, no, totally. Whatever you want." Gabe said, fairly sure one of those was the correct answer.

Sam smiled, relaxing next to him, "Okay, okay. Cool. Um, whenever you want to do that, I guess. Maybe this weekend, if your not busy." Sam was smiling softly to himself now, his fingers shaking in excitement.

Gabe let go of him, reluctantly, he watched the human for a moment, just enjoying the look of peace on his face. He had no idea what he just agreed to. But hell, if it makes Sam smile like he's in the mirror, Gabe'll agree to anything.

"Yeah, of course. Just remind me and I'll make it happen."

* * *

It wasn't his fault.

It was calling to him.

Gabe could feel it.

He looked down the hall, knowing exactly what was down there and what it would do to him. But no. It was only a little past noon. He had to wait to get his next fix. He had to wait until Sam and Dean went to sleep. Which was hours away.

Fuck.

He looked down the hall again.

Dean was watching a movie marathon of some kind. Cas was sitting next to him, completely enthralled in the plot of the classic movie. Sam was on the other side of the couch, nose deep in a book.

None of them would notice if he just snuck away for a moment.

Just a second. He'd be back in the blink of an eye.

Gabe slowly backed up into the hallway, careful to not make any noise.

He found that once he stepped in front of the mirror, he could breathe easier. Because once he was there, Sam was smiling at him, the magic allowing him to feel the warmth of his touch.

Gabe sighed as he settled down on the floor, feeling whole now that the mirror was in front of him.

* * *

Sam looked over, confused. It seemed as if their roles had reversed recently. Because he had been talking for the past few minutes, and Gabe hadn't so much as blinked.

"Gabe?" Sam asked, poking the other man. The angle blinked, looking up at him.

"What? Sorry, Sam." Gabe mumbled, his eyes were still distant, but he was at least looking at him now.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked, concern rushing through him in waves.

Gabe stared for a long moment, and then his head slowly fell down and climbed it's way back up. It hardly counted as a nod. Gabe looked away, back down the dark hall. Gabe was always looking down that way recently. Sam was getting worried. He went into that "dangerous" room. But the worst Sam found was that magic mirror. And that didn't seem very horrifying to Sam.

So what if it didn't show his reflection exactly right? That couldn't be what Gabe was so _odd_ about? Right?

Sam placed a gentle hand on Gabe's wrist.

"What's wrong?" He asked, stepping closer to the archangel. Gabe didn't react, his eyes stayed glued to the dark corridor just a few feet away from them.

"I… have to go." Gabe mumbled. And then he was gone, with the wave of some wings, he had disappeared from Sam's grip.

His wings didn't take him far, predictably, he found himself in front of the mirror, a sight he was used to by now.

* * *

"Can we get to moving a bit faster?" Gabe hissed as Dean drove down the highway.

His skin was crawling with phantom touches. Right now he could be sitting in front of that mirror, showing him exactly what he wanted to see.

Sam turned around and smiled at him. But, no, that smile wasn't right. It was too amused, too platonic.

"Relax, Gabe. We'll be home in a few hours. What's the rush?"

They just finished a hunt and Gabe was ready to be burn rubber already but Dean was _purposefully_ following the speed limit.

"Nothing. Nothing. Just hurry up." Gabe kicked Dean's seat.

The hunter glared at him through the rear view mirror, "You don't actually have to be here you know. You have wings."

Gabe actually forgot about that. He was so focused on _get there get there get there_ that he forgot _how_.

He could just fly to Sam.

Giddy with the realization, Gabe forgot to say goodbye before he disappeared.

The hunter's weren't expecting that. They looked at each other and back at the empty seat in the back.

"Dude," Dean said to Cas, "What's up with your brother?"

Cas was squinting out the window adjacent to him; the empty space where Gabe once was.

"I'm not sure." Cas replied, "He's not ill, nor injured."

"Well, something's not right." Dean grunted.

Cas nodded, "I'm concerned."

Sam turned and looked back to the open road. It was suddenly hard for him to swallow.

* * *

Gabe would disappear for days on end. Sam had no idea what had caused Gabe's unannounced departure. The hunter had the undeniable feeling that he did something wrong.

When Gabe was around, he looked so annoyed with everything Sam did. He would scowl at Sam's smile. He'd shrink away from Sam's touch. He'd space out when Sam started to talk. All the signs pointed to Sam being the reason why Gabe was gone. It was all his fault. If he had just been different… Maybe it was because he tried to ask Gabe on that date?

He thought they were just starting to get to know each other. He tough Gabe's teasing and staring meant something. So he asked the archangel if he'd want to do that time travel thing. Because Sam trusted him now. He didn't know what, exactly, made the switch flick in Sam's mind. But now Gabe was on the "Trustworthy" list in Sam's head.

Not that it meant anything. Because now Gabe was nowhere to be found. Ever.

Sure, Cas disappeared every now and then, but he always came back within a day. And he texted Dean the entire time he was gone.

Gabe didn't do that. Sam found Gabe's phone in between the couch cushions. They had complete radio silence.

'Well, not _total_ radio silence', Sam realized as he looked around the bunker. Feeling awkward doing this kind of thing out in the open, Sam walked to his room. He closed the door behind him, making sure Dean or Cas wouldn't walk in on him.

Sam got down on his knees and awkwardly folded his hands on his bed. After a moment, Sam closed his eyes too.

With a deep breath, he said as loud as he dared, "Gabriel, Archangel of God, _please_ hear my prayer…"

He looked up after a moment, half expecting Gabe to appear in front of him. When he didn't, Sam sighed, closed his eyes again, and continued.

"Look, I…. I don't know what I did… but I'm sorry. Please, _please_ come back."

Sam held his breath, waiting for the familiar sound of flapping wings.

…

…

…

Nothing.

Sam's throat tightened as he continued, "Can you at least tell me what I did? I… I don't know how to make this better. Gabe, please… I miss you."

Sam felt his heart slowly turn to stone and sink down his chest as the silence dragged on.

* * *

They were on a hunt.

Without Gabe.

It was the first time this happened in months, almost a year. Once Gabe was "reborn", they couldn't get rid of him. He was always in the back of the car, drumming along to the songs on the radio.

The Impala felt too quiet without him there.

Everyone was on edge. They were hunting a pack of vampires. The problem with vamps, was that they were smart, strong, and in order to kill them, you have to get close to them.

Having an archangel at their side would be fairly comforting right now. Sam silently prayed to him the entire way there, but he never showed.

* * *

It wasn't his fault.

Gabe couldn't hear a damn thing except mirror Sam's sweet whispers. He couldn't see anything except beautiful hazel eyes. He couldn't feel anything except the magic tugging him closer.

Dust had started to gather on his vessel, he hasn't moved in so long.

Time meant nothing to him.

All that mattered was Sam's sweet smile and the magic that kept it coming back.

* * *

Cas had one vamp in a choke-hold, but he didn't have his machete near him. It was knocked away when in the middle of the battle.

Dean was stabbing deadman's blood into one vamp while trying to avoid another.

Sam was in a bit of a wrestling match, him under the monster. The vamp bared it's fangs at him, and Sam freed his arm long enough to punch the vampire right in the teeth.

The monster hissed angrily and growled, "You'll pay for that."

Sam looked around for his machete, but it was too far away for him to reach.

The hunter panicked as he realized he was most definitely screwed.

He was breathing hard, and the vampire must've not liked that, because be slammed his hand around Sam's throat, blocking off Sam's airflow.

Black dots were forming in Sam's vision, and he couldn't help but think, ' _Gabriel, if you're waiting for the right moment to come back, it would be now.'_

There was a loud crack of thunder out of nowhere. A furious wind whipped through the barn, causing all the dust to get kicked up.

Out of surprise, the vampire let go of Sam's neck.

The hunter gasped in a deep, dusty breath, thankful for the archangel hearing his prayer at last.

But the vampire was one determined son of a bitch. It grabbed a jagged shard of broken glass and quickly torn into Sam.

The hunter yelled out in pain as the vampire carved into Sam's chest. It was digging with a purpose. The glass cut through a specific area of muscle. Right above Sam's heart.

Unbelievable amounts of pain shot through Sam's chest. His breaths came out in gasps as the vampire dug deeper into him.

Realizing it would take too long to try to get past all the bones and flesh, the vampire took an easier route.

It pulled Sam's head back by the roots of his hair and placed the bloody glass at the center of his neck.

"My only wish is that I could drink your pretty blood." The vamp sneered, "I hate seeing food go to waste."

Sam saw something flicker behind the vampire. A small smirk worked it's way onto Sam's face, despite the difficulty he has breathing right now.

"Go to hell." Sam replied, raising his eyebrows.

The vampire didn't get a chance to reply. It's head was cut off before it could think of something to say. Monster blood splattered against Sam, mixing with his own. For a second, Sam was alright.

But then the vampire's limp body fell on top of him. Or, more accurately, on top of the glass shard, still pressed against his neck. The force of it caused the shard to plunge straight into Sam's throat. The hunter coughed a gasp in shock.

Sam supposed the only saving grace was that he would get to _finally_ see Gabe again.

But the eyes he locks onto aren't a beautiful golden. They're green. And they're full of pain.

"Sam!" Dean yells, yanking the vamp off of him. He drops to the ground next to Sam, pulling him onto his lap. "Shit- son of a- shit- Sam- shit!"

Dean was babbling, Sam knew, but it sounded a little faded. Like there was cotton in his ears, and Dean's voice had to dig through them in order to get to Sam. Sam's eyes felt really heavy suddenly.

He groaned as loud footsteps pounded against the floor.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam could see a trench coat.

"Dammit, Cas, fix him!" Dean was yelling.

Cas? Why didn't he ask Gabe to do it?

Sam slowly turned his head; a gush of blood spilled out from around the glass in his neck. There wasn't an archangel in the barn. Just the bodies of the dead vamps. Sam forced his head to turn back, grunting in pain as his eyes searched Cas's.

Oh.

Gabe never did show up.

It was all Cas.

Right.

Sam's breath got caught in his throat, sending him into a violent coughing fit. His mouth was filling with the metalic taste of his own blood. He blinked at the feel of something gently falling onto his cheek. His eyes flicked to Dean.

His brother was crying.

"Sam, please, hold on." Dean mumbled, brushing the hair out of Sam's face.

When Sam blinked again, it was hard for him to open his eyes. He pulled his eyelids away from each other, watching as Dean quickly fell apart above him.

His mind was too fuzzy to realize what was happening. But he knew that he should say something to make Dean feel better. So he opened his mouth, some blood spilled out of the corners.

"No, no, don't, Sammy, shh. You'll be okay." Dean said, "Cas, fucking heal him!"

But when the angel moved forward, he was breathing hard, and swaying a bit. Sam's eyes slowly rolled to look at Cas. Even he could tell the angel wasted all his power on killing all the vamps. Sam looked back to Dean.

He thought vaguely of the strange mirror in the dusty room. He remembered what he saw in it. As his blinks grew slower, Sam repeated, as clearly as he could, what he saw in that weird mirror.

"It… was you…" his eyes turned to Cas's face, "an' you… an' me… a-an' Gabe… we were-" He swallowed and coughed violently, "...happy."

Dean was staring at him, his eyes flicking between both of Sam's trying to figure out what he meant, "What?"

"'T's what… I saw… in the mirror…" Sam replied, his eyes really didn't want to be open right now, and his fingers felt tingly and cold. He finally let his eyes just slide closed already, and he mumbled, "Happiness."

Sam doesn't know what happened next. He was fading fast, slipping into a darkness that was both welcoming and dreadful.

* * *

Dean, of course, went postal.

He wouldn't sleep until he found a way to get Sam back. He asked Cas to just go up to Heaven (or down to Hell) and drag his ass back. But the angel just wasn't strong enough. He was cut off from Heaven and he was losing Grace every day.

After Cas, Death, and Crowley all failed him, Dean turned to the missing archangel.

He screamed himself hoarse, praying to the Pagan demigod.

"YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN THERE! THIS WAS YOUR FAULT!" He screamed, fury and grief warring inside him. "HE'D BE ALIVE IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU!"

The yelling hateful prayers did nothing except render Dean near-mute.

Gabe still didn't appear.

* * *

Dean, in one quiet moment, asked Cas, just above a whisper, "Do you know where he is?"

Cas looked at Dean, eyes taking in every painful detail. The hunter's sunken eyes sat on top of dark bags. His shoulders were always tense with anger. His mind full of unspoken words. He was thinner, too. Cas couldn't remember the last time he ingested something that wasn't alcohol.

"Your brother is in Heaven." Cas replied, just as soft, but firm. Dean must know this. His brother as not being tortured. There was no rush to save him. Sam was in paradise.

Dean smiled slightly at that, but shook his head. "No. I meant… your brother."

He looked up at Cas, eyes somehow filled with wisdom beyond his years.

"Do you know where he is? Are you worried about him?"

Cas paused for a moment, thinking about the question, "It is… common for Gabriel, specifically, to be missing. Before the apocalypse, many of my siblings and I believed he was dead. But…"

Dean offered Cas his half-full beer. The angel scowled at him in response.

"But?"

"But it never gets any less frightening when he vanishes." Cas replied finally.

Dean nodded, staring into space. He downed the last of the beer, and dropped the bottle onto the table.

Then the hunter stood up, eyes determined in a way that Cas hasn't seen in weeks.

"We have to find him." Dean said.

"Pardon?" Cas squinted at him, trying to figure out Dean's thought process.

Dean nodded, "This feeling I have right now, I never want you to go through it. If your brother is out there, we should go get him."

Cas looked unsure, "He's the last archangel. There's a reason why he's survived when the rest have fallen. I don't believe he's in danger."

"Alright. Then we'll find him, crash his party, and drag him home." Dean said. "...I just want one of us to have peace of mind."

Cas nodded, deciding they could at least try.

"If he isn't trying to hide, then I may be able to find a spell to track him down." Cas said, leading Dean to the library. The hunter stumbled slightly on the way there. Castiel couldn't tell if it was from malnutrition, the alcohol, or the grief. He didn't comment on it.

Dean sat down heavily in one of the chairs as Cas looked through the titles of the hundreds of books. Dean started to massage a headache away as Cas ran his fingers over the spines.

After a few minutes of silence, Cas returned to him, holding a thick book.

"Are you sure about this, Dean?" He asked, placing the book on the table next to them. "You aren't still upset with Gabriel, are you?"

"Oh, I'm fucking pissed." Dean looked ready to fight, but deflated almost instantly, "But, yeah, no. This is for you. So we at least know one of us isn't alone."

Cas's shoulders sank with the weight of his friend's confession, "You are not alone, Dean."

The hunter snorted in disbelief. He gestured to the book and muttered, "This it?"

Cas wasn't as willing to let the topic drop, but he also didn't want to upset Dean any further. Maybe after they find Gabe he'll explain to Dean that he's not alone. He'll never be alone, as long as Cas still walks the earth. That he'll always be there for Dean.

Instead, Cas nodded and opened the thick book.

"I do believe this is the spell we're looking for. It specifically hunts down archangels. The spell was more necessary in Heaven, when they tried to hide from my brothers and I." Cas was saying as his fingers roamed over the ancient letters.

Dean held his head in his palm, his elbow resting on the table. It took him a few seconds to process all that.

"Why would they hide from you?" He asked.

Cas paused, squinting slightly, "I don't think… the archangels _liked_ us, at first."

Dean snorted. "Yeah, God brought home thousands of new babies. The older siblings are gonna be pissed."

Cas nodded, the quirk of his lips almost resembling a smile. "I will get the ingredients for this spell. You can…"

Dean's head was pounding, he momentarily wondered where he left his beer. Oh, right. He drank it all. He should get a new one. Is there beer in the library?

"You can rest here." Cas said at last.

Dean nodded, he clapped and mumbled, "Go team, break!"

Cas appeared and reappeared throughout the next hour, various ingredients popping up on the table next to Dean.

The hunter tried to keep his head afloat in the silence of the angel's departure.

Eventually, Cas appeared and didn't poof off right away. He shuffled through all the ingredients and nodded to himself.

"I believe that is everything." Cas murmured. Dean watched as the angel set everything up, mixing things here, chanting stuff there, the usual.

When Cas finished, there was a huge cloud of smoke, that sent Dean into a coughing fit. When the haze cleared, there were three distinct glowing lines floating about chest-height. One of the lines was a dark red and it went off in one direction. A light blue line ran parallel to it; they both disappeared past a wall.

"That's Lucifer and Michael's lines." Cas murmured, "It would take us to the Cage."

Dean looked to the last line. It was green and turning down one of the dark hallways, almost in the opposite direction of Michael and Lucifer's lines.

"That would be Gabriel's." Cas gestured.

"There's only three." Dean said, not thinking.

Cas cleared his throat, "Raphael is no longer with us."

"Right. Yeah." Dean mentally cursed himself. Dick with wings or not, he was still Cas's brother. Dean gestured to the green line, "So, that way?"

"Generally." Cas helped Dean stand up. The two slowly made their way down the hall, following the ominous green light.

"Let's see where this leads out." Dean mumbled. But the line turned suddenly, going through a door that Dean hadn't bothered to look through before.

Cas opened the door slowly, letting it creak loudly. It had hard to see through the cloud of dust, but the green glow of the tracker helped. The room was full of shelves with various books, magical nicknacks and no-doubt cursed objects. A thick layar of dust covered everything. The green light led them into the room, to the back wall, and turned sharply to the side.

Dean and Cas creeped forward, not sure what to expect.

What they found when they turned the corner made Cas gasp and Dean shudder.

Gabriel was there all right. The green light fizzled out once Cas and Dean saw him. It took Dean a moment to even take in everything he was seeing.

The archangel was sitting on the floor, cross-legged, still as a stone. His back was turned to them and Dean could see every bump of his spine, his ribs, his shoulder blades. Gabriel didn't turn when they stepped forward, he was staring straight ahead at, Dean looked up, at a glowing mirror.

Cas suddenly pulled Dean back around the corner, before the hunter could get a good look at his reflection.

"Dean, you mustn't look in that mirror." The angel hissed.

"Why not?" Dean had a pretty good idea. The mirror turned Gabriel into that pile of bones. But he wanted specifics.

Cas stared into Dean's eyes in the low light, trying to get across the gravity of the situation, "That is a very dangerous mirror. Do not look at it."

Dean nodded slowly, suddenly feeling a little sick. The air around him was cold and it seemed to be pushing him to turn back around the corner.

"Wait here." Cas whispered.

Dean stood his ground as Cas disappeared around the corner.

The angel slowly stepped up to Gabriel. He could feel the magic tugging at him, pushing him closer, pulling him into the mirror's light.

Cas made sure he didn't look into the mirror. He already knew what he wanted most. He wanted the man waiting behind a shelf to be happy. He didn't need a mirror to tell him that.

Castiel stepped around Gabriel, obscuring the mirror from his voice. The angel's heart sank as he saw Gabriel's face.

His cheeks were sunken in, showing off unnaturally hard cheekbones. His eyes were faded, and unfocused. Dust had settled on his eyelashes, on all of him, actually. Cas wiped some dust off his brother's cheeks. The skin under the dust was just as grey as th rest of the room. The archangel was completely unresponsive to Castiel's touches.

"Gabriel?" Cas asked, fear in his voice. He'd never seen the affects of the mirror happen in person.

The archangel didn't so much as twitch. Cas fit his hands under Gabriel's arms and picked him up easily. The archangel was dead weight in his arms. He wasn't even breathing.

If it weren't for the fact that Cas could see his Grace shining bright, he would've thought his brother was dead.

Castiel dragged the other man away from the mirror. Magic tugged at him, begging him to stop, but Castiel refused. He pulled Gabe over to Dean, who looked pale at the sight of the broken angel.

Not wanting to stay here any longer, Cas teleported the three of them back to the library. The other two lights had faded away by now.

Dean helped to manhandle Gabe into a chair. The archangel didn't put up a fight. Dean and Cas stepped back, watching as the archangel moved for the first time in probably a month.

Gabriel slowly turned his head to look in the direction they had just come from. He was looking back to the mirror.

"What happened to him?" Dean asked. He couldn't even find it in himself to be mad at the archangel. Gabe didn't even look human anymore. His vessel was a skeleton with grey skin.

"The mirror." Cas replied simply. He reached forward and placed two fingers on Gabe's temple. The archangel didn't blink.

There was a soft blue glow as Cas filled him with Grace. Gabe's vessel slowly started to regrow. The muscles formed and curled under his slowly pinkening skin. Dust fell off of Gabe as his body filled the saggy clothes he was in.

Once he looked like himself again, Cas lowered his hand.

Dean shook his head, "He looks possessed."

"In a way, he is." Cas replied. "The mirror got into his mind."

"What's that mirror even do?" Dean gutted his thumb behind him, gesturing to the dark hallway.

Cas blew out a breath, as close to a sigh as Dean had seen from him, "From what I've heard, it shows you your greatest desire. But it destroys your mind as it does so."

Dean frowned, thinking back a bit. "When, um… When Sam was talking… a-about what he saw… Do you think he meant that?"

Cas watched him for a moment, his voice was soft when he replied, "I believe so."

* * *

For a long while, Gabriel was as distant as ever. Talking to him was like talking to a wall. Touching him felt discomforting; his skin was always cold. Being near him made Dean feel uncomfortable.

Cas stood guard, sitting in front of Gabe's line of sight, forcing the archangel to look into his eyes.

That was just as creepy as seeing Gabe alone. Because Cas wouldn't breath or blink when he watched Gabe. It was like having two professionally-made life sizes status in his library.

It was unbearably lonely.

Dean was drowning himself in beer when Cas ran in suddenly. The angel was bouncing as he said, "Dean! DEAN!"

Dean looked up at the angel, eyes wide, "What?"

Cas grabbed him by the hand and pulled him up and out of the kitchen, "Come look, quick!"

Dean stumbled after Cas as the angel lead him to the archangel statue.

They stopped in front of him, Cas smiling as he watched his brother. Dean tried to see what was so fantastic about the brain dead man.

After a few silent moments, Dean sighed.

"Okay, what's so exciting?"

Cas frowned at him, and then pointed to Gabe, "Watch his eyes."

Dean fought the urge to roll his own eyes, and looked down at Gabe's.

After a few seconds…

Gabe blinked.

Dean looked up to see Cas's excited gaze. He smiled, pulling the angel in for a hug, "Cas, that's great! Do you think he's getting better?"

"Yes, I know so." Cas nodded frantically. "I closed the door to the room. The mirror's magic can't reach him now."

Dean looked down that hall, chewing his cheek, "Shouldn't we go and, I dunno, break it?"

Cas's expression turned serious. "I'm not sure how. A spirit lives in it. And if we break the mirror, it might escape. It would be best if I take it somewhere remote. But…" Cas looked down at his brother, "I'm apprehensive about approaching it."

Dean nodded, placing a hand on Cas's back soothingly, "We'll deal with it at some point."

Dean was asleep, for once, when Cas came running into the room. The angel froze, realizing this was the first time Dean had slept in days. But it was pointless, because his arrival awoke Dean anyway.

"Sorry." Cas mumbled at his groan.

"Nah, 't's fine. Um… what's up?" Dean rubbed his bloodshot eyes tiredly.

Cas slid close to Dean, he said in something similar to a gasp, "He's _breathing_."

Dean blinked in the dark, he tried to force himself to be excited for Cas. "Wait, really? That's awesome!"

"I know!" Cas replied. "I think he'll be able to move soon!"

Dean smiled, genuinely feeling joy for the angel. "That's really cool, Cas."

He doesn't regret making Cas find Gabe.

The archangel will watch them as they walk around the library now. If someone walks in, he'll look up. His shoulders always slump slightly when he sees who it is. It didn't take long for Dean to realize who he was waiting for.

"He's gone." Dean hissed one night. Gabe blinked at him. "He's not coming back. And it's your fault."

Gabriel stared at him blankly and Dean had to force himself to walk away from the angel.

Cas smiled when he found Gabriel in the kitchen. The archangel looked better, but there was a dullness in his eyes that was similar to the look in Dean's. Cas was just happy to finally be able to push in that chair in the library.

Gabriel didn't talk. But his eyes and his wings said enough for him.

Once Gabe seemed healthy again - he still didn't talk or eat, but he was responsive and independent - Dean pulled him aside late one afternoon. The archangel scowled at the alcohol on Dean's breath, but listened as Dean hissed at him.

"Cas said he's in Heaven. Take me to him."

Gabe squinted at him. Anger flared inside Dean, he couldn't stop himself from slamming his fist against Gabe's head. The archangel didn't flinch, and that hurt Dean's fist like all hell, but he continued doing it. His fist slammed against Gabe over and over again, only managing to hurt himself.

"DON'T YOU GET IT?!" Dean screamed, tears threatening to pour out of him. "HE'S NOT COMING BACK!"

Gabriel frowned, he reached forward and healed Dean's fist. The hunter yanked his hand away furiously.

"If you were there, he'd still be alive." Dean said quietly, hated sinking into every word. Gabe blinked rapidly, slowly pulling his hand back. He looked down at the floor and Dean realized this was the first time Gabe showed - somewhat - emotion. Something dark inside Dean made him want to shove more pain inside the angel. Instead, he forced himself to walk away, holding his still-bruised fist close to himself.

* * *

Gabriel wandered around this building. It was familiar, but distant at the same time. Like a memory from long ago. His feet carried him through the halls. He was looking for something, he knew. It called to him, pulling him closer.

 _Gabriel…_

He knew it was a person, he was looking for. But for the life of him, he couldn't find them.

The only people here were an angry freckled drunk and his brother. Neither were the phantom that kept Gabriel on the search.

The angry freckled man kept telling him that the person he was looking for was gone. But where did he go?

Perhaps Gabe could follow them. He couldn't pinpoint why it was so important to him. But he had to find this man.

Eventually, Gabriel found himself in front of a door. He blinked at it, wondering what had made his vessel's feet take him here.

Without much thought, Gabriel opened the door. The room behind it was very dark and cluttered. Grey air particles settled around him.

The archangel stepped forward, his steps even and easy. Something tried to coax him closer, but it, too, felt distant.

Gabriel blinked and he found himself in front of a glowing mirror. In the back of his mind, he knew this mirror well. He knew, vaguely, of its history and its magic.

Gabe stared into the mirror.

Another man stared back at him.

He was tall and kind-looking. He smiled down at Gabriel with an affectionate gaze.

Gabe blinked up at him.

The archangel had no idea who he was. Simply, he turned around and walked back out of the room.

Gabriel wondered the bunker, looking for something, someone. Who, he had no idea. Freckles yelled at him often. His brother would smile at him just as often.

But he still had the thought that there was something missing.

And it was all his fault.


End file.
